05 Jun 2005
A Matter Of Allegiance

I stumbled across this wonderful column by Fred Reed this morning while perusing my blogroll - this must be read in it's entirety to be appreciated.

I wish to propose a salubrious anarchy, a deliberate renunciation of fealty to country, society, and government, an assertion of independence from folly and moral decay. Permit me to offer a taxing political idea: When a society ceases to be worthy of support, it is reasonable to withdraw support. The time, I submit, has come.

(link) [Fred on Everything]

via Laudator Temporis Acti

00:00 /Politics | 0 comments | permanent link

Mac Install-Base Shown to Be 16%

I've always suspected that the "market share" figures for various computers skewed the numbers rather seriously, as they fail to factor in such things as reliability and corporate standardization.

MacDailyNews has an editorial which summarizes reports from various research groups that analyzed the number of computer users affected by viruses. The conclusion was that 16 percent of all computer users are not affected by viruses because they use Macs. The lack of viruses on a Mac is commonly known, but the interesting thing is the fact that the results finally provide the first set of conclusive numbers which illustrate the Macintosh's install-base.

(link) [Slashdot]

00:00 /Technology | 0 comments | permanent link

Interest-Group Conservatism

Ah, how did I miss this (from 4 May 2005)? But, as my momma used to always say, better late than never! So here ya go: a depressingly accurate take on the state of government in America.

One might have expected that once in command, conservative politicians would work to further reduce Washington's power and bury the model of special-interest-driven government expansion for good. But one would have been wrong. Instead, Republicans have gleefully taken possession of the old liberal spoils system and converted it to their own purposes. The result is the curious governing philosophy of interest-group conservatism: the expansion and exploitation of government by people who profess to dislike it.

(link) [Slate]

00:00 /Politics | 0 comments | permanent link

The Pagan Way

Wow! A more or less balanced newspaper article on various "pagan" paths, from the veritable "Heart of Darkness" itself - Colorado Springs, home to Focus on the Family and numerous other fundie groups. But also the site of Hardscrabble Creek, an excellent pagan blog, so I can't say I'm too surprised at the number of pagans in the area. It does surprise me that the local paper would print such a relatively sympathetic piece, however.

Some people think pentagrams and paganism go hand in hand with the worship of Satan. Not so, say local pagans. Paganism is an umbrella term that encompasses dozens of sometimes loosely defined faiths. Each branch of paganism has its own theology, but most pagans honor nature and multiple deities and believe the divine is found everywhere.

(link) [Colorado Springs Gazette]

00:00 /Asatru | 0 comments | permanent link